U.S. patent application number 11/087461 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-06 for mobile designed to come into contact with another mobile or fixed component.
Invention is credited to Kunz, Pierre.
Application Number | 20050217169 11/087461 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34842453 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050217169 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kunz, Pierre |
October 6, 2005 |
Mobile designed to come into contact with another mobile or fixed
component
Abstract
The mobile comprises a hub (1) rotating on its axis and a
transmission or rolling rim (3) designed to come into contact with
a mobile or fixed component, the hub (1) and the transmission or
rolling rim (3) being linked by leaves (2) arranged to allow for
the relative movement of the transmission or rolling rim (3) in
relation to the hub (1) under the spring action of the leaves
(2).
Inventors: |
Kunz, Pierre; (Echenevex,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OSTROLENK FABER GERB & SOFFEN
1180 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
100368403
|
Family ID: |
34842453 |
Appl. No.: |
11/087461 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
47/33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G04B 13/025 20130101;
F16H 55/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
047/033 |
International
Class: |
H04B 007/15; A01G
001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 25, 2004 |
CH |
00502/04 |
Claims
1. Mobile designed to come into contact with a mobile or fixed
component, wherein it comprises a hub rotating on its axis, and a
transmission or rolling rim designed to come into contact with the
mobile or fixed component, the hub and the transmission or rolling
rim being linked by leaves arranged to allow for the relative
movement of the rim in relation to the hub under the spring action
of the leaves.
2. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein the leaves extend
concentrically relative to the transmission and rolling rim, with
radial play provided between the hub and the rim.
3. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein there is a bent section in
the middle of the leaves that allows for the difference in
elongation of the said leaves to be absorbed.
4. Mobile according to claim 3, wherein the hub has openings placed
opposite the bent sections of the leaves, the openings allowing the
leaves to perform their spring function between the hub and the
rim.
5. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein the hub has recesses in
which studs integral to the transmission or rolling rim are
positioned.
6. Mobile according to claim 5, wherein play is provided between
the recesses and the studs.
7. Mobile according to claim 5, wherein the leaves and the studs
are evenly arranged on the periphery of the circumference of the
mobile (M).
8. Mobile according to claim 5, wherein three recesses, each
receiving a stud on the transmission or rolling rim are evenly
spaced on the circumference of the mobile.
9. Mobile according to claims 8, wherein each of the studs is
inserted between two leaves.
10. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein it has three spring leaves
evenly arranged on its circumference.
11. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein the transmission or
rolling rim is a toothed wheel, a star wheel or a smooth wheel
allowing for friction driving.
12. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein it is made of steel.
13. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein it is coated with
molybdenum disulphide.
14. Mobile according to claim 1, wherein it is made in one
piece.
15. Production method for the mobile according to claim 1, wherein
it is made all in one piece without molecular discontinuity, by
traditional machining starting with a blank, by metal cutting, wire
cutting, wire EDM, electroforming, spark EDM or swage cutting, or
by micromoulding through exposure of UV-sensitive resin, galvanic
deposition in micromoulds or galvanic coating on a substrate.
Description
[0001] The object of the invention is a mobile designed to come
into contact with another mobile or fixed component.
[0002] In clock and watch-making, for example, when an additional
mobile is added to an existing mechanism, the staff of one mobile
often has to pass through the entire bottom plate to display, for
example, an indication on the dial. This means that the staff of
the mobile may encounter one or more existing components of the
movement. Numerous complications then arise if the position of the
vertical axis of the mobile passing through the entire bottom plate
has to be changed. This problem has led the owner to propose a
mobile that can be forced to move relative to its axis, in such a
way as to avoid colliding with a staff or any other part of the
movement. The force exerted on the mobile will consist in moving
the axis of the said mobile, the central part of which will undergo
a deformation, the circumference of the mobile being moved
laterally. Thus, the owner has developed a mobile with a certain
flexibility enabling it to undergo movements without changing a
centre distance, without altering its function, and without
changing its gear ratio.
[0003] Such a mobile is described in U.S. Pat. No. ______
(application Ser. No. 0385/03) in the name of the owner. It
comprises a hub rotating on its axis, and a transmission or rolling
zone designed to come into contact with a mobile or fixed
component, a flexible zone able to undergo deformation being
inserted between the hub and the transmission zone. The flexible
zone is a deformable foam, or is made up of a series of leaves
linking the hub to the transmission or rolling zone. The object of
this invention is to propose a similar mobile made in one
piece.
[0004] The mobile designed to come into contact with a mobile or
fixed component according to the invention is characterised in that
it comprises a hub rotating on an axis and a transmission or
rolling rim designed to come into contact with the mobile or fixed
component, the hub and the transmission or rolling rim being linked
by leaves arranged to allow for the relative movement of the
transmission or rolling rim in relation to the hub under the spring
action of the leaves.
[0005] The leaves extend concentrically relative to the
transmission and rolling rim, with radial play being provided
between the hub and the rim.
[0006] There may be a bent section in the middle of the leaves
allowing for the difference in elongation of the said leaves to be
absorbed.
[0007] The hub may have openings placed opposite the bent sections
of the leaves, the openings allowing the leaves to carry out their
spring function without coming into contact with the hub or the
rim.
[0008] The hub may have recesses in which studs integral to the
transmission or rolling rim are positioned.
[0009] Play is usually provided between the recesses and the studs.
The leaves and the studs are evenly arranged on the periphery of
the circumference of the mobile.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the mobile has three spring
leaves evenly arranged around its circumference, and three recesses
are arranged to each receive a stud on the transmission or rolling
rim, the recesses being evenly spaced around the circumference of
the mobile, each of the studs being inserted between two leaves of
the mobile. The transmission or rolling rim is a toothed wheel, a
star wheel or a smooth wheel allowing for friction driving.
[0011] The mobile is preferably made of steel and coated with
molybdenum disulphide.
[0012] An additional object of the invention is a production method
for the mobile characterised in that it is made all in one piece
without molecular discontinuity, by traditional machining, starting
from a blank, by metal cutting, wire cutting, spark EDM,
electroforming or swage cutting, or by micromoulding through
exposure of UV-sensitive resin, galvanic deposition in micromoulds
or galvanic coating on a substrate.
[0013] The drawing shows, as an example, an embodiment of a mobile
according to the invention that can be offset relative to its axis,
and set in motion in its offset position.
[0014] In the drawing:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a top view of the mobile, and
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile in FIG. 1.
[0017] The mobile described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 has
been developed for the clock and watch-making industry. Its
application is not however limited to this specific field, and can
be extended to general mechanics, and in particular to the
automotive industry, aviation, micromechanics, machine tools,
medicine and any technical field in which a mobile must be brought
into contact with a fixed mechanical component or a mobile, by
deformation of its structure corresponding to a movement of its
centre of rotation.
[0018] Once in place, the mobile shown in the embodiment in FIGS. 1
and 2 allows for meshing with another mobile or any other sort of
transmission whilst being offset from its axis of rotation.
[0019] The mobile M in FIG. 1 comprises a central part or hub 1
linked by means of flexible leaves 2 to a transmission or rolling
rim 3. The transmission rim 3 is equipped, in the embodiment in
FIGS. 1 and 2, with teeth allowing for the mobile M to mesh with
another mobile. Alternatively, the transmission rim 3 may be a
smooth rim allowing for friction driving or a star performing the
function of a jumper.
[0020] The central section or hub 1 has openings 4 that allow the
leaves 2 to deform freely, and recesses 5 designed to support studs
6 that are an integral part of the rim 3. The studs 6 have a
guiding function and relay the transmission of the force exerted by
the rim 3 in order to ensure the transmission of the movement,
limit the deformation of the leaves 2, and thus eliminate the risk
of breakage.
[0021] The leaves 2 are attached at regular intervals on either
side of the hub 1 and the rim 3 respectively. They have in their
middle a bent section 7 designed to absorb the differences in
elongation of the leaves 2. The bent sections 7 will preferably be
slightly thicker than the straight sections of the leaves 2, which
allows for the stress to be distributed and the strength of the
mobile increased.
[0022] As shown in the drawing, the mobile has three leaves 2
particularly spaced around its circumference and the rim 3 has
three studs 6 evenly spaced and placed between the openings 4. Play
is left between the studs 6 and the recesses 5 in such a way as to
give the assembly a certain freedom of operation, the studs 6 only
coming into contact with one or other of the lateral edges of the
recesses 5 after the spring action of the leaves 2 has been
exerted. The studs 6 are thus used to limit the spring action of
the central sections 7 of the leaves 2, and thus prevent breakage.
The straight sections of the leaves 2 are designed to absorb the
offsetting of the rim 3 relative to the hub 1.
[0023] The mobile M that has just been described will preferably be
made of phosphorus nickel or steel, and will be coated with
molybdenum disulphide. The surfaces in contact during the operation
of the mobile M, particularly the surfaces of the recesses 5 and
the studs 6, will thus be able to slide more easily against each
other and premature wear of the mobile will thus be limited.
[0024] With the mobile that has just been described, it is possible
to force the circumference of the mobile to compensate for an
insufficient distance between two centres without altering the
transmission function and transmission ratio of the assembly.
[0025] This solution also allows for compensation for lesser
problems encountered in clock and watch-making, such as radial
run-out of mobiles or problems of butting between mobiles. Minor
defects due to the positioning of the pivot holes of the various
mobiles can also easily be corrected.
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